Ford has announced that it will be adding more than 1,000 hourly jobs at its Oakville Assembly plant. These new workers will be added as Ford ramps up its transformation into one of Canadas most competitive and advanced global manufacturing plants. Ford hopes that the Oakville Assembly will expand capabilities with new jobs added across the plant.
The new 2015 Ford Edge sets a new standard in its class and will show countries around the world Canadian quality at its best, said Joe Hinrichs, Ford president of The Americas. New jobs at Oakville Assembly will strengthen our investment in Canada and increase our capabilities as we gear up for one of the most anticipated launches at Ford.
Oakville Assembly currently manufactures the Ford Edge and Flex, and the Lincoln MKX and MKT and has been chosen to build the all-new 2015 global Ford Edge, which will go on sale early next year. The 2015 Ford Edge will be exported to more than 100 countries from Oakville, Ontario.
Added Dianne Craig, president and CEO, Ford of Canada, Investment in auto manufacturing pays off, and Oakville Assembly is proof of that. Not only is the investment helping us meet much-needed capacity for high demand products produced in Canada, its creating jobs. It is a proud time at Ford of Canada as we welcome new employees to our team.
In 2013, the company announced a C$700 million investment to convert Oakville Assembly into an advanced global manufacturing facility. The new jobs will bring total employment at the plant to more than 4,000 by year-end. Ford already added 300 jobs in 2013 to meet growing consumer demand.
The project is resulting in significant new jobs and generating enormous economic and fiscal benefits. This is a great example of why a national auto strategy really pays off for our whole economy, said Jerry Dias, Unifor, national president.
Our government welcomes the news of the latest round of hirings in Oakville. We are committed to strengthening Canadas economy while creating high-quality jobs here in Canada. The federal investment in the Oakville Assembly plant has helped transform it into a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and one of Fords most advanced facilities globally. It demonstrates once again that Canada is a great place to build cars, said federal Industry Minister James Moore.
To see the transformation of Oakville Assembly into a global facility is incredible. Were building on our strong team to support greater complexities in our systems, processes and technologies, said Will Cowell, Oakville Assembly plant manager. Oakville Assembly has a bright future built through a deep commitment to Canada by Ford and strong partnerships with Unifor and government.
Investment in auto manufacturing directly benefits the Canadian economy. It is estimated every auto job generates up to 10 supporting jobs. Ford will also increase spending on Canadian-made auto parts by C$200 million a year, to a total of nearly C$4 billion annually.
SOURCE Ford
